Remy Disney Cruise Line Review ~ Fancy Schmancy Dining At Sea

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Disney Cruise Line and France are two of my favorite things in the world. So when I learned that Disney had added a French-themed dining option to its two newest ships, I knew sans doute I wanted to eat at Remy during my cruise aboard Fantasy. I’d previously dined at Disney’s other adult-only at-sea restaurant, Palo, which serves upscale Northern Italian cuisine. While I highly recommend both, Remy takes the fine-dining experience to an even more decadent extreme. Expect scrumptious food, exemplary service and surprises galore.

Remy is So Disney and So Posh

Remy is named after the lovable petite chef from the Disney*Pixar film, Ratatouille. The restaurant is decorated with a warm palate of soft greens, deep reds and rich gold. It has the feel of old money with a French accent. Place your handbag on the seat beside you and…poof! A member of the waitstaff will arrive with an elegant purse stool for your purse.

A crystal figurine of Ratatouille’s cartoon chef, Remy, overlooks the dining room from this perch atop a chandelier

My dinner mates and I were seated at the “princess table” for the evening. This elevated booth boasts a view of the elegant dining room. About our meal, my friend Kristi said, “What I most enjoyed and will always remember about Remy is the dining experience itself and the anticipation of each course.”

Dining princess-style, from left to right: me, Kristi Marcelle with Ciao Bambino, Debbie Byers and her daughter, Andrea Zimmerman with Babble.com

Fine Dining of the Finest Caliber

We were given the choice of two prix fixe five-course menus. One was designed by Chef Arnaud Lallement from L’Assiette Champenoise, a Michelin two-star restaurant located just outside Reims, France. The other was created by Chef Scott Hunnel from the acclaimed Victoria & Albert’s, Walt Disney World’s most upscale restaurant. Since we were informed that Chef Hunnel was on board the ship and cooking in the Remy kitchen that evening, I chose his menu. You can also order menu items à la carte if that suits your mood.

Remy Restaurant Surprises

Our meal commenced with a surprise champagne cocktail, named “The Collette” for the movie’s romantic lead. Our waiter, Yannick, made our elegant libations table-side. He and most of the other Disney cast members at Remy hail from La France, bien sûr!

Next we were presented with a basket of breads from which to select a carbohydrate-laden treat or two. Then came our second surprise of the evening, a Willy Wonka-esque amuse bouche — a crouton filled with piping hot tomato soup. Before the official courses had even started, we were served a dollop of olive oil ice cream atop a bed of tapenade.

Smoked buffalo, my first “official” course of the evening

The Savory Courses

My first course was smoked buffalo, which I had for some reason envisioned as buffalo mozzarella. It was actually medallions of buffalo served with a frisée of salad and drizzled with a rich, unctuous sauce. My second course of wild turbot served with a delicate lemon-caper cream was my favorite of the evening. Still, I knew there were three courses yet to come so I paced myself and left some of the delicious flatfish on my plate. The third course of roasted Vermont quail was too meaty for my liking but I think that was more my palate’s fault than the chef’s. The Korubuta pork tenderloin and belly with corn ragout was served fourth. It was touted by our waiter as the best dish on my menu. While indeed delicious, I found myself longing for more of my wild turbot.

Remy’s Cheese Course

Yannick then rolled out a cart of 12 French cheeses from which to choose. We were stuffed, but somehow found room for cheese served with honey, dried apricots, figs and more pieces of bread from that tempting basket.

Choose as many varieties as you like from the cheese cart at Remy

Dessert!

The savory courses completed, it was time to move on to dessert. (Yes, there was even more food yet to come!) My rich Peruvian chocolate mousse was outshone by yet another surprise ~ a sweet array of hand-crafted chocolate truffles, caramels, marshmallows and other candies and cookies. Yannick even brought me additional gourmet lollipops to bring home to my kiddos. Our choice of gourmet teas and coffees topped off the delectable meal.

The Peruvian chocolate mousse is served in a dark chocolate shell along with a chocolate ravioli and fruit “caviar”

Celebrate at Disney’s Remy

The birthday girl in our party was presented with a plate painted in chocolate script that read, “Joyeux anniversaire” (happy birthday, in French). After our decadent three-hour meal, each of us was presented with a final gift of a long-stem red rose.

Save room for a bonus dessert – an array of sweet treats!

In celebration, the birthday girl was presented with an extra fleur. Andrea was clearly touched by these gestures and the overall experience. She said, “I felt like I was in Beauty & the Beast, where the courses keep coming and coming. All we were missing was the singing tableware. Truly, my birthday could not have been more special.”

Where better to celebrate a birthday, anniversary or other special event than at Remy?

What to Know About Remy Before You Go

Although most meals and snacks on board Disney’s ships are included in your stateroom price, there is an additional $75 fee per person to dine at Remy.

For the utmost dining experience, I recommend you splurge and pay the $99 for wine pairings to accompany your multi-course meal. If you’d rather, you can purchase wine, beer and cocktails separately. The wine list features 200 vintages from nearly every region in France. For wine lovers with deep pockets, you can choose from 22 rare wines from around the world from Remy’s Vault.

Make reservations before leaving home or the minute you board the ship. This 80-seat venue is likely to book-up quickly.

Guests must be 18 or older to dine at Remy. If traveling with kids, there is no need to feel guilty for not bringing them along. They’ll have such a ball in the at-sea nursery, kids’ camp or teen club they likely will not miss you one bit.

This is a fancy-schmancy affaire. As such, men are required to sport a dress jacket, dress pants and dress shoes. Ties are optional. Women should come dolled up in their spiffiest cruisewear. A cocktail dress, nicer sundress, or elegant pants ensemble will do.

Choose your cruise partners and dinner mates wisely. The food, ambiance and service were incredible, but what made the meal even more special was sharing it with the right company.

Where have you enjoyed a decadent dining experience? Let us know in the comments!

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About Colleen Lanin

Colleen Lanin is the founder/editor-in-chief of TravelMamas.com. As the author of her book, "The Travel Mamas' Guide," she teaches parents not only how to survive a trip with children, but also how to love exploring the world with their offspring. Her stories have appeared online and in print for such outlets as the "Today" show, NBCNews.com, Parenting Magazine, Orlando Sentinel, Chicago Tribune, Expedia, San Diego Family Magazine, and more. Colleen gives tips on television, radio, and as a public speaker. She has a master’s degree in business administration with a background in marketing. She lives in Arizona with her husband and two kids.

Ellen (Mama!) – I suggest pacing yourself for such an elaborate meal. Whenever I’ve done tastings like this, each course tends to be fairly small. But still, I only take a few bites of each course. Except dessert, which I gobble up!

Hi there! I'm Colleen Lanin, the founder of Travel Mamas. I launched this family travel blog in 2009 to help parents better connect with their kids and the world through travel and beyond. I love being a mom, traveling, swimming in fabulous hotel pools, and doing Pilates so I can eat lots of gluten-free dessert. Click on the pic to learn more about moi!